Paris...

After a couple of days in Mannheim between Torino and Paris, I left on a gloomy rainy morning on the ICE. Emma wasn't expecting me at the airport but I got out to CDG and met her there. She was clearly a little jet-lagged and dazed as she forgot to pick up her bags on the way out of the terminal! We headed into the city via the train. It was a little surreal to be sitting face-to-face finally after nearly three months and plenty of emails and skype time. Once at the hotel (after a having to wait hence some beers around the corner) we completed a picnic I had prepared by complementing it with a ice cold bottle of Bollinger and a few baguette sticks. We found a nice spot along the Seine which overlooked the Notre Dame. Pretty amazing even through the weather was typically European - grey skys and cold. The picnic included italian delights = Lardo, Olives, Cheeses and meats. Washed down with Bollinger, I was a pretty happy man!

Upon the advice of Hay and Ali, we headed towards the Eiffel tower and to the Musee de l’Architecture where we found the Cafe they suggested. It had an amazing view of the tower and for some strange reason wasn't flooded with tourists or hecklers. The Cafe Gourmand was lovely! We stayed well into the evening enjoying the view, laughing at the sheep-tourists and drinking coffee! The tower was lit up with a dark sky background by the time we left.

Friday morning was the start of our first and only full day in Paris. We really could spend months there. It was a wandering style day! We covered the Notre Dame island, Louvre, Gardens, Champs Elysees and made it up to the Sacre Coeur. There were many stops for interesting food and dodging the rain! Emma had booked dinner at the Chez Julien. We had covered some serious ground before dinner so needed a little nap!! Dinner was as good as I could ever hope a dinner to be. The food was delicious but not over done, the service was fun and appropriate, the restaurant was cosy and 'french' making the night forever memorable. Adding to this drinks aferwards, it was a late long day.

On Saturday morning I plucked up the energy to head out for a run. The rationale was that it would be my last time to see Paris for a little while and Hay and Hannam told me how good their run was when they did it earlier this year! It ran pretty much the same loop as we walked on the Friday but went a little further along the Champs Elysees and saw a little more of the city. The run meant i'd covered a few more little streets and sights that I may never see again. The run ended up going a little longer than planned! Oops, but after a quick shower and being told off the by the hotel cleaner for staying too long, Em and I were off for breaky and hunting down the Markets. We achieve all these things before hopping on the Thalys to Brussels and then onto Liege. It was sad to leave Paris but I couldn't have asked for a better way to see it that with Em and our itinerary. Superb...